Birmingham Children’s Trust appoints first CEO

Birmingham city council has announced the appointment of Birmingham Children’s Trust’s first Chief Executive.

Andy Couldrick has been chosen by a selection panel including representatives from the city council (both officers and members), the Department for Education, the Birmingham Children’s Commissioner and the Chair of the Birmingham Children’s Trust.

Mr Couldrick is said to have a wealth of experience within children’s social care, having previously worked as head of children’s social care at Oxfordshire County Council before moving on to Wokingham Borough Council in 2011, firstly as Director of Children’s Services before a promotion to Chief Executive of the same authority.

The role of Chief Executive for the Birmingham Children’s Trust is to lead the newly-formed organisation that will be responsible for delivering children’s services in the city.

The formation of the Trust follows a challenging time for children’s services in the city which has seen the imposition of Government appointed Commissioners and it was one of the contributory factors leading to the Kerslake Review.

Mr Couldrick said:

I am delighted to become the first Chief Executive of Birmingham Children’s Trust. This is a great opportunity to build on and to support the fantastic work being done every day by social workers and our partners in the city, supporting and safeguarding our most vulnerable children.

Birmingham is a young, diverse and exciting place and I am delighted to have the chance to work with colleagues in this new Trust, focused exclusively on improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

As a social worker myself, I know how challenging and how rewarding what we do is, and how we have the opportunity, together, to change lives.

Anything I and the new Trust can do, to make these challenges easier, to help improve how we work together, and to keep hold of the strong relationship with the City Council, will be a pleasure as well as a privilege. I can’t wait to start.

Mr Couldrick will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for the Trust’s staff, services, budget, and for the development and execution of its vision and delivery plan.

He will also provide the Trust Board of Directors and the local authority with “strategic and professional advice.”

Andrew Christie, Chair of the Birmingham Children’s Trust, said:

I am delighted Andy has taken up our offer of the role to become our first Chief Executive.

It’s crucial the new Trust gets off to a flying start with strong and experienced leadership. Andy will bring the experience, insight and know-how that we need to ensure we achieve the best possible outcomes for the city’s young people and families.

“Now we have our senior leadership in place, we can move forward with the other appointments and tasks that need to be completed so the trust can become operational as planned.

The shadow Birmingham Children’s Trust is now operational and is due to take control of services on a ‘business as usual’ basis from April 2018.

Other appointments expected in the near future for the Birmingham Children’s Trust include non-executive directors, Head of HR and Director of Resources.

Birmingham city council says The role of Chief Executive for the Birmingham Children’s Trust is in the salary band £128,802 – £157,782pa.

Senior figures in Birmingham city council, currently in purdah, will see the appointment of the Trust’s CEO as another key marker on their way to the next assessment by the Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel and their possible disbandment.